9 Major Rivers of India With Interesting Facts and Details

India is a land of rivers. There are nine important rivers of India namely Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Brahmaputra, Krishna, Kaveri, Mahanadi, Narmada and Tapti. These 9 rivers along with their tributaries make the lifeline of India. In this article, we have detailed the essential details of these 9 rivers and also marked out some interesting facts about them. Check out these rivers right here.

Top 9 Famous Rivers in India:

1. Ganga:

The Ganges or Ganga as it is popularly known is the longest river in India and flows through India and Bangladesh. It is one of the most sacred rivers to the Hindus and is a lifeline to the millions of people living across its course and depends upon it for their livelihood. Though the Ganga river in India is worshipped in Hinduism as Goddess Ganga one cannot ignore the fact that it is a highly polluted river which has endangered 140 fish species, 90 amphibian species, and even humans.

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River Name: Ganga
River Length: 2725km
It Originates from: Devprayag in the Garhwal division of the Uttarakhand state.
Ends in: Murshidabad District, West Bengal
Major States and Cities: The major States and Cities covered by Ganga river are

States where river Ganges flows:

Uttarakhand
Himachal Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Chattisgarh
Bihar
Jharkhand
Punjab
Haryana
Rajasthan
West Bengal
Union Territory of Delhi

Cities on the banks of the Ganges:

Rishikesh, Farrukhabad, Haridwar, Kannauj, Bithoor, Kanpur, Jajmau, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Buxar, Patna, Bhagalpur, Farakka, Murshidabad, Plassey, Nabadwip, Kolkata, Rajshahi, Chandpur, Baranagar

Bridges:

Arrah-Chhapra Bridge
Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur Bridge
Farakka Barrage
Digha–Sonpur Bridge
Ganges Barrage
Hardinge Bridge
KacchiDargah–Bidupur Bridge
Lakshman Jhula
Lalon Shah Bridge
Mahatma Gandhi Setu
Malviya Bridge
Munger Ganga Bridge
Nivedita Setu
Padma Bridge
Rajendra Setu
Ram Jhula, Rishikesh
Vikramshila Setu
Vivekananda Setu

Merges Info:

Allahabad – Prayag of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati

River Highlights:

Most sacred river in India
Highest polluted river in India
The third largest river in the world
It creates the world’s largest DELTA in West Bengal – the Sundarbans Delta
Most important North Indian rivers.
River Rafting is available in India at the Rishikesh Ganga River.

2. Godavari:

This is the second longest river in India after Ganga. It forms one of the largest river basins, the other larger ones being the ones formed by Ganges and Indus. This river has been referred to in the Hindu scriptures, for millennials and it continues to nourish the rich culture of India.

Godavari The Second Longest River In India

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River Name: Godavari
River Length: 1465km
It originates from: Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra
Ends in: Bay of Bengal, Narsapuram, West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh

Major States and Cities on the banks of the Godavari:

Maharashtra
Nashik
Kopargaon
Ahmednagar
Aurangabad
Beed
Jalna
Parbhani
Karnataka
Chhattisgarh
Telangana
Nirmal
Mancherial
Nizamabad
Jagityal
Pedapalli
Andhra Pradesh
Polavaram
Rajahmundry
Yanam (Puducherry State)

Bridges:

Godavari Bridge
Godavari Arch Bridge
The Havelock Bridge

Merges Info:

Godavari River merges into Bay of Bengal at Narsapuram, West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh.

River Highlights:

It is the longest South Indian river and is also known as Dakshina Ganga
The second largest river of India after Ganga
The Krishna-Godavari basin is one of the main nesting sites of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle – One of the endangered species.

3. Krishna:

The Krishna river is the 4th biggest river in India after Ganga, Godavari, and Brahmaputra. This 1400km long river is also known as Krishnaveni. This river is one of the major source of water for irrigation in Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.

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River Name: Krishnaveni
River Length: 1400km
It originates from: Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar, Satara District, Maharashtra
Ends in: Bay of Bengal, Hamsaladeevi, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh

Major States and Cities on the banks of Krishna:

Maharashtra
Karnataka
Telangana
Andhra Pradesh

Bridges:

Krishna Bridge, Wai, Maharashtra
Irwin Bridge, Sangli
Kudachi-Ugar Railway Bridge
B. Soundatti Bridge, Raibag
Tangadagi Bridge, Karnataka

Merges Info:

This river merges into the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaladeevi

River Highlights:

The 4th largest river of India
Tungabhadra river has the largest tributary of the Krishna river.
The Krishna Pushkaram fair which happens once in 12 years happens on the banks of Krishna river

Read: Important Lakes in India

4. Kaveri:

Kaveri is the Indian river that flows through the States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Kaveri river is primarily used to provide water for irrigation, water for household consumption and generation of electricity.

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River Name: Kaveri
River Length: 805km
River Area: 81155km²
It Originates from: Western Ghats at talakaveri, Kodagu, Karnataka.
Ends in: Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu in the Bay of Bengal

Major States and Cities on the banks of Kaveri:

Karnataka
Tamil Nadu

Bridges:

Cauvery river bridge

Merges Info:

The Kaveri river merges into the Bay of Bengal

River Highlights:

The 3rd largest river of South India
The largest river in Tamilnadu that bisects the State into 2 parts North and South
It is the basis for the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary

5. Yamuna:

The Yamuna river derived its name from the Sanskrit word Yama which means twins as it runs parallel to the Ganges. The Yamuna river that originates from the Yamunotri glacier at the height of 6387 meters is the second largest tributary of the Ganges and the longest tributary of India. The Yamuna river merges the Ganges at the Triveni Sangam in Allahabad which is also the site for Kumbh Mela which comes once in every 12 years. This river caters almost 70% of Delhi’s water supply.

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River Name: Yamuna River
River Length: 1376km
River Area: 366223km²
It Originates from: Yamunotri in the banderpooch peaks of the Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand.
Ends in: Triveni Sangam

Major States and Cities on the banks of Yamuna:

States: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi
Cities: Yamuna Nagar, Delhi, Faridabad, Mathura, Agra, Etawah, Prayagraj

Bridges:

Nizamuddin Bridge
Old Naini bridge

Merges Info:

Merges the Ganga river in the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj (Allahabad)

River Highlights:

It is the longest and the second largest tributary of the Ganges
Due to the high amount of pollutants, it is also called as the sewage drain.
The Yamunotri temple, the shrine of goddess Yamuna is one of the most religious shrines of Hinduism and is a part of the Char Dham Yatra.

6. Brahmaputra:

The Brahmaputra river is a trans boundary river that flows through China, India, and Bangladesh and is one of the biggest rivers of Asia. While most of the rivers have a female name, this river has the rare male name and is derived from a Sanskrit word which means ‘Son of Brahma.’

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River Name: Brahmaputra
River Length: 2900km
River Area: 712035km²
It Originates From: Bhagirath Glacier located in the Himalayas in the Tibet.
Ends in: the Bay of Bengal in the Ganges Delta in Bangladesh

Major States and Cities on the banks of Brahmaputra:

Assam
Guwahati
Dibrugarh
Arunachal Pradesh
Tezpur

Bridges:

Bogibeel Bridge
Naranarayan Setu
Bhupen Hazarika Setu
Kolia Bhomora Setu
Saraighat

Merges Info:

In the Ganges Delta it merges with River Padma (The name of Ganga in Bangladesh) in Bangladesh and finally the Meghna before emptying in the Bay of Bengal

River Highlights:

One of the major rivers of Asia
Trans-Boundary river
An important river for irrigation and transportation
When the Himalayan snow melts, this river is prone to catastrophic floods
In Arunachal Pradesh, this river is known as Siang
Assam’s largest metropolitan city, Guwahati is a popular tourist attraction on the banks of the Brahmaputra River.

7. Mahanadi:

This is a major river in East Central India which flows through the States of Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Rising from the highlands of Chhattisgarh this river flows through Odisha to reach the Bay of Bengal.

Mahanadi A Major River In East Central India

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River Name: Mahanadi
River Length: 858km
River Area: 141600km²
It Originates from: Sihawa, Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh, India.
Ends in: False Point. Jagatsinghpur, Odisha

Major States and Cities on the banks of Mahanadi:

Chattisgarh – Rajim, Odisha – Sambalpur, Cuttack, Sonepur, Birmaharajpur, Subalaya, Kantilo, Boudh, Cuttack, Banki.

Bridges: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Setu.

Merges Info:

Bay of Bengal by forming a Delta

River Highlights:

Famous for its Hirakud Dam which is the highest dam in the world.
Mahanadi contributes greatly to fertilizing the chief crops – oil seeds, sugarcane and rice in Orissa.

8. Narmada:

Also known as Rewa, Narmada is the 3rd largest river of central India after Godavari and Krishna. It is in fact, the lifeline of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh as the major requirement of their water is met by the Narmada.The Narmada is a Sanskrit word that means ‘The River of Pleasure.’

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River Name: Narmada
River Length: 1312km
River Area: 98796km ²
It Originates from: Narmada Kund, Amarkantak Plateau, Annupur District, Madhya Pradesh
Ends in: Gulf of Khambhat, Bharuch, Gujarat

Major States and Cities on the banks of Narmada:

Dindori, Harda, Mandhata, Barwani, Omkareshwar, Barwaha, Maheshwar, Mandla, Bharuch, Rajpipla, Dharmapuri, Vadodara, Rajkot.

Bridges:

Golden Bridge
Sardar Bridge
3rd Narmada Bridge

Merges Info:

The Narmada river merges into the Arabian Sea in the Gulf of Khambhat in Bharuch district of Gujarat

River Highlights:

One of the only 3 rivers that run from east to west (the other 2 being Tapti and Mahi) and empty in the Arabian Sea
Narmada Kund is the point of origin of the Narmada river.
According to Hindu mythology, it is one of the seven holy rivers for the washing of sins.
Dhuandhar waterfalls on Narmada River is a wonderful honeymoon destination in Madhya Pradesh.

9. Tapti:

The river Tapti or Tapi is the river of the central India that runs between the Narmada and the Godavari river. It is also a river that flows west wards and empties into the Arabian sea passing through the Gulf of Khambhat. The river is named after the name of Goddess Tapti, the daughter of Sun God and Chhaya.

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River Name: Tapi or Tapti
River Length: 724km
It Originates from: Multai
Ends in: Gulf of Khambhat, the Arabian Sea at Dumas in Surat, Gujarat

Major States and Cities on the banks of Tapti:

Madhya Pradesh
Nepanagar
Multai
Maharashtra
Burhanpur
Bhusawal
Gujarat
Surat

Bridges:

Centre of Kapodra bridge
Madgalla Bridge
Hope Bridge

River Highlights:

Before the bridge of Ukai Dam, the tapi river had overflowed due to heavy rainfall, and more than 1000 people had drowned in the floods.
The Surat city was submerged 10 feet under the water for several days
Even after the water subsided more than 1000 people died due to cholera epidemic spread due to the contamination of water.

The aforesaid are the details of all the major rivers of India. The rivers of India are its lifeline and a major source of water and electricity serving all the major states of India. However, this fact is also equally true that these rivers have been polluted way beyond the accepted limit and if the situations do not change, the water in India will no longer remain potable.